When we do an extended weekend, a little over 1500 miles traveled, 2 cars, a boat, a Thanksgiving meal, and a whole day in the hospital, we do it! The entire family traveled back to Tennessee for Thanksgiving this weekend, which for us, is a little over 700 miles one way. The drive is actually not that bad; the wife and kids are true road warriors. Originally, this trip was primarily about Thanksgiving and picking up a boat that Papa got Number 2 after an incident he had last winter on the river. That is an entire story of its own for another day. Honestly, just yesterday’s drive, which involved 3 wrong turns and 2 major breaks in contact, could fill this space today. But today’s post is about giving thanks. You see, Papa has had a tough run for the last few months with several trips to the hospital and a couple of major surgeries, but this weekend felt like something else. The entire story is much longer, for brevity, I will skip to this week, when Papa started having some balance issues and weakness on one side… it was a slow build, not as sudden or noticeable as a stroke would be. Eventually, it would lead to a trip to the Emergency Room and ultimately, brain surgery for a slow bleed. He made it through surgery and is still in recovery, but we are a little extra thankful today. Thankful for the doctors and nurses for their talent and caring. Thankful that Nana and my brother-in-law noticed the change, took action, and are always there. Thankful for Katie and Stratton, who get a special shout-out for always graciously hosting our larger-than-average-sized crew, and for all the help in making the boat and trailer roadworthy. Thankful for the wife and kids for their endurance. Thankful to our Lord and Savior for all the things and our many blessings. But today, we are thankful for Papa. For all of the joy, the laughter, the jokes, the love, the phone calls, and each unpredictable moment. I pray that you recover well and we get so many more of all of the above!
As a reminder, Lunch Box Quotes are notes I include in the kids’ lunches every day. Number 1 gets a text, but 2-4 get a handwritten napkin.
Visual credits to: Rafael Barberi, @realAtlasPress @GigaBasedDad @nimgaladh @HumbleFlow and @since33
1. “Our greatest weariness comes from work not done.” – Eric Hoffer
2. “My prayer is that when I die, all of hell rejoices that I am out of the fight.” – C.S. Lewis
3. “There’s some good in this world, and it is worth fighting for.” – J.R.R. Tolkien
4. “Beauty will save the world.” – Dostoevsky
Bonus Quote: “If you have time to dress elegantly, to eat, to gossip with the neighbours, to run after markets and shows – and then you claim you have no time to pray or to give alms – you are lying! Your time reveals what you truly love.” – Saint John Chrysostom
Sources:
Eric Hoffer, what a line pic.twitter.com/XyGT0H2eBR
— Atlas Press (@realAtlasPress) November 29, 2025
CS Lewis gets it pic.twitter.com/CIuNWd7Oq9
— Giga Based Dad (@GigaBasedDad) November 28, 2025
— Feanor (@nimgaladh) November 28, 2025
When Dostoevsky said, ‘Beauty will save the world,’ this is what he meant: pic.twitter.com/Pd6ry1xBfB
— Humble Flow (@HumbleFlow) November 28, 2025
“If you have time to dress elegantly, to eat, to gossip with the neighbours, to run after markets and shows – and then you claim you have no time to pray or to give alms – you are lying! Your time reveals what you truly love.”
☦️Saint John Chrysostom pic.twitter.com/euzVL1or7v
— Orthodox Faith (@since33) November 29, 2025